He sounds like the Harper who was at the NCC says Harper's former boss.

by Canadian Health Coalition

Maxime "Mad Max" Bernier recently gave a controversial speech to Toronto's Albany Club where he called for an end to $40-billion worth of health and social transfers to the provinces, a move that would mean the end of Medicare.

Bernier, the disgraced MP for the Quebec riding of Beauce and former minister in Stephen Harper's Cabinet, stated: "The federal government today intervenes massively in provincial jurisdictions, and in particular in health and education, two areas where it has no constitutional legitimacy whatsoever."

There's no doubt Bernier is speaking from his heart, but why would Stephen Harper, a control-freak to put it mildly, let Bernier rant his lunatic fringe ideology so publicly? Perhaps it's because he shares, or is behind, Bernier's comments.

Gerry Nicholls, who worked with Mr. Harper when he was president of the National Citizens Coalition, said that Mr. Bernier's conservative values are actually very close to the Prime Minister's. "Bernier sounds like the Harper who was at the NCC," said Mr. Nicholls.

Last week also saw disgraced former Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney call for a "serious, adult discussion" on Medicare and said "some form of user fees and greater scope for competition within the system will be necessary."

Coincidence?

The problem with the conservatives' privatize Medicare crusade is that so-called "unsustainable" public health spending will not magically become "sustainable" simply by shifting costs from the taxpayer to the patient and from the wealthy to the sick.

It's long past time for an "adult conversation" about the winners and losers from dismantling public health care in Canada.